Transducer machine



`lune 7, 1966 M. cAMRAs TRANSDUCER MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1963 xi/Vs, 4 ATTORNEYS June 7, 1966 M, CAMRAS TRANSDUCER MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l. 1965 June 7, 1966 Filed Aug. 1, 1963 M. CAMRAS TRANSDUCER MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MARVIN CAMRAS AT TORN EYS FIC-3.4

June 7, 1966 M. CAMRAS TRANSDUCER MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 1, 1963 mmm m@ INVENTOR.

MARVIN CAMRAS June 7, 1966 M. cAMRAs 3,254,857

TRANSDUCER MACHINE Filed Aug. 1. 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGBB FIG.7

INVENTOR.

MARVIN C AM RAS United States Patent O 3,254,857 TRANSDUCER MACHINE Marvin Camras, Glencoe, Ill., assigner to IIT Research Institute, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 299,206 Claims. (Cl. 242-5513) Reference is hereby made to my copending application Serial No. 124,683, led July 17, 1961, and entitled Transducer Machine in compliance with Title 35, Unitedv States Code, Section 120.

This invention relates to an automatic threading transducer machi-ne and particularly to an adaptor mechanism for application to conventional tape recording machines to render such conventional machines capable of automatic threading.

The adaptor mechanism of the present invention is particularly useful with a single spool cartridge such as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 124,683, led July 17, 1961, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part.

The single spool cartridge disclosed in my prior application is of a uniquely simple coniiguration `and comprises an ordinary spool having means thereof for retaining the end of a record medium threading portion therewith regardless of the point about the periphery of the spool at which the free end of the threading portion is located. One embodiment of the invention involves a spool having peripheral shoulder portions projecting axially inwardly from the peripheral edges of the ilanges and defining a slot narrower than the width of the threading portion of the record medium but greater than the width of the active portion of the record medium. Since the confronti-ng peripheral shoulder portions are symmetrical about the central axis of the spool, the end of the threading portion may be located at any point about the circumference of the spool and still be effectively retained by the confronting shoulder portions.

Such a single spool cartridge has unique advantages over the types of magazines which 'have Ibeen proposed. For example, magazine units having two spools permanently therein are relativelyrbulky and costly and unreliable and are not compatible with existing conventional machines. An endless band type magazine has the disadvantage that the record must be run through entirely to return to the beginning of the record, that is the direction of movement of the record cannot be reversed. Records of any considerable length are likely to bind and jam the supply system, and the record must be handthreaded or else the magazine must be relatively costly and contain relatively unreliable parts. This endless band type magazine is also not generally compatible with conventional machines.

In my U.S. Patent 3,025,011, issued March 13, 1962, there is disclosed an automatic threading system utilizing a special take-up arrangement which is not interchangeable with the single spool cartridge magazine associated with the supply spindle. An important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of identical supply and take-up cartridges which may be inverted and interchanged and the record medium again automatically threaded to play a second channel or channels on the record medium. Further, the machine of my prior patent was a specialized machine for carrying out the automatic threading operation, and it would be highly desirable to have a mechanism which could be applied to existing conventional machines in a simple manner Vso as to convert such existing machines to automatic threading.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an automatic threading adaptor mechanism applica-ble in a simple manner to existing conven- Ice Patented June 7, 1966 tional manually threaded machines to convert such machines to automatic threading operation.- l

It is another object of the present invention to provide anautomatic threading transducer machine having interchangeable supply and take-up single spool cartridges.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a novel automatic threading transducer machine whichdoes not require a pre-threaded leader.

Another object of the invention i-s to provide a novel single spool cartridge for an automatic threading transducer machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic threading mechanism which may be applied to existing tape transport mechanisms without requiring substantial reconstruction thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for stripping the end of a threading portion of a single spool cartridge from the cartridge land conducting the same along a transducing path to a position for engagement with a take-up device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for automatically engaging a thread- Aing portion of a record medium with a take-up device.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan view of an automatic threading transducer mechanism in accordance with the present invention applied to a conventional magnetic tape recorder;

FIGURE 1A on sheet of the drawings is a somewhat diagrammatic horizontal sectional view showing certain details of the play-stop-thread control of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the automatic threading adaptor mechanism of the present invention in its inactive condition;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the automatic threading mechanism in position for carrying out an automatic threading operation;-

FIGURE 3A on Sheet No. 5 of the drawings, is a somewhat diagrammatic bottom plan view of certain of the structure of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3B is a vertical sectional View also somewhat diagrammatic taken generally along the line IlIB-IIIB in FIGURE 3A;

FIGURE 4 on Sheet 3 of the drawings is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the end portion of the threading leader which is coupled to the take-up cartridge in FIG- UREv 3;

FIGURE 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic top'plan view ofthe mechanism of FIGURE 2 with the cover plate and a second plate removed to show internal movable parts;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified cartridge for use in a machine in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational View of the cartridge of FIGURE 6.

In the illustrated embodiment a conventional magnetic tape recorder 10 such as a Webcor stereo tape recorder is provided Iwith mechanism to adapt the machine to automatic threading in accordance with the present invention. The conventional machines includes a cabinet 11 with a control panel 12 including a change speed control 13, and a forward, rewind control 14. A shaft 15 is provided with a control knob similar to the knob 14 and is designed to shift the apparatus between stop and play or recor position. If a recording operation is desired, slide button 17 is actuated to record position, the left-hand position, along with actuation of shaft 15 to its left-hand or extreme clockwise position. The conventional mechanism further vincludes suitable guideaes-1,85?

posts associated with screws 20 and 21 for guiding the tape during a transducing operation. An erase head is indicated at 23 and a stereo record-playback head assembly-is indicated at 24. A tape driving capstan 25 is driven at constant speed during record and play modes for propelling the tape past erase head 23 and recordplayback head 24. The conventional machine is constructed so that take-up spindle 30 is driven at high speed when the control knob 14 is in the forward position and the supply shaft 31 is driven in the clockwise direction at high speed in the rewind position of control 14 so as to rewind the tape onto-the supply reel associated twith spindle 31. In stop position of shaft 15, braking means such as indicated at 33 is applied to a disk 34 associated with the supply spindle 31.

The components thus far described are entirely conventional so that a more detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In adapting the conventional mechanism for automatic threading, in the illustrated embodiment, the usual cover plate for heads 23 and 24 and capstan 2S is removed, and an adapter assembly itl is applied over the entire tape transport larea and may be secured in place by means of screws 26 and 21 which normally secure an abbreviated cover plate over the parts just mentioned.

In adapting the conventional machine to automatic threading, shaft 15 is provided with an arm 15a which is coupled by links 42 and 43 to a belt tensioning roller 44. When shaft 15 is moved to the threa position which is the position indicated in FIGURE 1, tensioning roller 44 tensions belt 46 so as to drive a pulley 47 associated with take-up spindle 36 from a drive pulley 49. A take-up cartridge such as indicated at in FIGURE 1 on the take-up spindle 3i) is thus driven at constant speed during the tape threadinff operation which speed is comparable to the no load speed of the take-up spindle 323 with the control shaft in the play or record position. Linkage 42 is also coupled by means of an arm 52 to a rotatable member 53 having a cable 54 extending partially therearound and secured to the arm 52. Upon movement of the shaft 15 to its extreme counterclockwise position, linkage 42 pivots arm 52 and member 53 about the axis of member S3 so as to pull connecting cable 54 to the right disengaging the brake means 33 by pivotal movement thereof about the pivot point 56 against the action of a tension spring 57. When control shaft 15 is moved to the stop position, the tension applied to cable 54 is relaxed, lallowing spring 57 to pivot brake arm 33 about shaft 56 to apply braking force to disk 34 associated with supply spindle 31.

The adaptor mechanism 40 includes a top cover plate 40a having apertures 4Gb and 49C therein through which the supply cartridge 60 and take-up cartridge 50 may be applied to spindles 31 an-d Sil, respectively. Suitable means may, of course, be provided for providing manual access in the placement and removal of the cartridges 5t) and 60; for example, notches (not shown) may be Yprovided adjacent apertures 40/1 and 40C for receiving the fingers in grasping of the cartridges.

The cartridges 50 and 6% of the illustrated mechanism are substantially identical to the cartridges illustrated in my Patent 3,025,011, issued March 13, 1962 and in my copending application Serial No. 124,683, filed July 17, 1961, of which the present application is a continuationin-part. The disclosure of my copending application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirely. The cartridges 59 and 60 may have peripheral portions Stia and 69a provided by the edge surfaces of the respective flanges which extend from opposite sides of the central hub portion Stb and 60h. The upper flanges are indicated at 50c and 611e in FIGURE 3 (which is a bottom plan view) while the lower flanges are indicated at 50d and 60d in FIGURE 3. The inwardly projecting ribs or shoulder portions extending about the peripheries of the flanges are indicated at 50e, 501 and 6G@ and 60j in FIGURE 3.

The hubs Stb and 60h are each provided with teeth such as indicated at 5tlg and 6tlg for engaging in cooperating apertures such as indicated at 61a, FIGURE 4 in threading leaders such as diagrammatically indicated at 61 and 62 in FIGURE 3. Each of the leaders 61 and 62 has a width somewhat less than the spacing between flanges 59C, 55a.' and 611C, 60d and greater than the spacing between the confronting annular.ribs or shoulder portions 50e, Silf and 60e, 66j on the respective anges of the supply and take-up cartridges. The record medium 63 is a conventional tape record medium having a width somewhat less than the space between the confronting shoulder portions 50e, 50j and 63e, 691 The record medium is wound in a coil on the hub 66]) and at its inner end connects with the end of threading leader 62 and at its outer end connects with threading leader 61.

As seen in FIGURE 2, top plate 40a may be provided with a marginal flange 40d across the rear edge thereof and may be provided with side flanges 40e and 401. The mechanism such as indicated at 33, 34, 42, 43, 44, 46, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56 and 57 is located below the deck plate of the machine on which the bottom edges of tlanges 49d, 49e and 46j rest. The base deck plate is visible at 71B in FIGURE l where the adaptor cover plate 49a is broken away. The rotatable member 53 is provided with a driving slot 53a, FIGURE 1, which receives a tongue 72a, FIGURE 2 of a member 72 when the adaptor mechanism 40 is secured in position as shown in FIGURE 1.

Thus, rotation of shaft 15, rotates member 53 in a clockwise, direction as viewed in FIGURE 1 corresponding to a counterclockwise direction of FIGURE 2 so as to actuate arm 73, FIGURE 2, in a counterclockwise direction. The arm 73 is provided with a roller 73a riding on a back edge face 74a of a slide plate 74 which is pivotally mounted at 75 on a reinforcing plate 76 secured to the underside of cover plate 40a.

The slide plate 74 carries a pulley 77 which receives a belt 84. The belt extends about a pulley fixed to the shaft of roller and extends about a pulley fixed to the shaft of roller 86. An idler pulley S7 has its shaft secured to plate 76.

The slide plate 74 carries a pin 88 to which is secured one end of a tension spring 89, the other end of which is connected with an end of an arm pivotally mounted at 91 to the plate 76. The spring 89 is secured to a screw 93 carried at the end of arm 9) opposite the end carrying the roller 86. An arm 94 is rigidly secured to slide plate 74 by the element 8S so that the arm makes a fixed angle with respect to the slide plate 74. The end 94a of arm 94 abuts the end of arm 90 to prevent pivotal movement of the arm 90 in the clockwise direction under the impetus of tension spring 89 in the inactive position of slide 74. An idler roller 95 is secured to arm 9) and rotatably mounted so as to engage the leader and press the same into engagement with the supply cartridge during a rewind operation with the parts in the position shown in FIGURE 2 (except that spindle 31 shifts to position 31 during rewind in the conventional machine to which the present invention has been applied).

An arm 102 carries roller 85 and is urged in the counterclockwise direction with respect to its pivot 104 by means of a tension spring 103 secured at 101 to slide plate 74 and secured at its opposite end by means of a pin to the arm 102. The arm 162 also carries an idler pulley 167 (FIGURE 2) for the belt 34.

An arm 166 is secured at a fixed angular position with respect to the slide plate 74 by means of the screw 161 and has a free end Ita abutting a side edge of arm 102 in the inactive position of slide plate 74 shown in FIG- URE 2.

As the slide plate 74 is pivoted about its pivot point 75 by means of arm 73, fixed arms 94 and 106 secured to the slide plate move an appreciable distance so as to allow tension spring 89' to project the friction surface 86a of roller 86 into engagement with the periphery of supply cartridge 60 and so as to enable tension spring 103 to move friction surface 85a of roller 85 into engagement with'the periphery of the take-up cartridge 50. The active positions of rollers S5 and 86 are shown in FIG- URE 3. The movement of slide plate 74 is sucient so that springs 89 and 103 resiliently urge the rollers 86 and 85 into engagement with the respective cartridges to provide a driving connection from the take-up cartridge to the supply cartridge through belt 84 in the active position of slide plate 74 shown in FIGURE 3.

Movement of the slide '74 to the active position also causes a roller 110 carried von slide plate 74 to engage an arm 111 whichis pivotally mounted at 112 so as to shift the arm in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES '2 and 3. A tension spring 113 is connected between a point 114 on slide plate 74 and a screw 115 secured to arm 111.50 as to resist the counterclockwise movement of arm 111.

A spring arm 116, FIGURE 2, is secured to edge 74b of slide plate 74 and has a plate 118, FIGURE 3A, on the free end portion thereof designed to engage with an end edge of a plate 420, FIGURE 3A, to latch the slide` plate 74 in its active position shown in FIGURE 3.

A trip lever 117 is pivotally mounted on a pin such as indicated' at 119 so that slight counterclockwise pivotal movement of the lever 117 from the position shown in FIGURE 3 Will `shift metal pad or plate 118 on the end of arm 116 to the lright as viewed in FIGURE 3 so as to disengage the plate 1118 from the edge of plate 420. Release of this latch serves to restore the parts to the position shown in FIGURE 2 from the active positions shown in FIGURE 3. Pivotal movement of the trip lever 117 is controlled by means of a lug 120' pivotally mounted at 121 within the arm 111. The pivotal lng 120 has a finger 120e engageable with end 117b of trip lever 117 so that when lug 120 is pivoted in the clockwise direction about point 121, lever 117 is pivoted in the counterclockwise direction about pivot 119 to release the latch 118 from the edge of plate 420. The pivotal lug 120 is arranged with a surface 120]; along the path of the threading leader Ifrom` the supply cartridge 60 to the takeup cartridge 50, so that when the threading leader engages with the take-up cartridge, sufficient tension is applied to the threading leader to pivot lug 120 slightly in the clockwise direction labout its pivot point 121.

As slide plate 74 is moved to the active position and arm 111 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, a lower edge face of arm 111 engages an arm 122 which is pivotally mounted on the plate 76 by means of a pin located Eas indicated at 123 so as to drive the arm 122 :in the counterclockwise direction causing a pin 124 on arm 122 to drive member 125 in the clockwise direction with respect to its pivot indicated at 126. The pivot 126 is carried by a guide block 127 secured by means of screws such als 4128 to plate 76.

The arm 125 has secured therewith a guide tongue 130 of springy metallic material which is adapted to press the threading leader against a guide surface 111b of arm 111 and against the engaging face 120b of pivotal lug 120 as the threading leader is guided into proximity with the take-up cartridge.

A guiding finger 135 is pivotally secured to the arm 125 at point 136 so that as the ar-m 125 moves in the clockwise direction, the finger 135 is pivoted by means of tension spring 137 so as to be projected into engagement with the hub 50h of take-up cartridge 50. The spring 137 is connected between a point 138 on finger 135 and a fixed screw 139 secured to block 127. In FIGURE 3, finger 135 has been shown in its extreme clockwise position, but it will be understood that when the take-up cartridge 50 is present, the'finger 1315 will ride on the surface of hub 50b. The finger 135 may have a pair of relatively thin ridges 135a extending in the peripheral direct5 tion with respect to the hub 50b and offset with respect to the rows of peripheral teeth 140 on hub 5011 so that the edges faces of ribs or ridges 1350 rest directly on the peripheral surface of hub 50b in the absence 'of the threading leader.

Similarly, roller 85 has been shown in its extreme counterclockwise position which it would assume in the absence lof a take-up cartridge 50. With the cartridge 50 present as indicated in FIGURE 3, the peripheral surface 85a would be in engagement with the peripheral edges 50a of the lflanges of the cartridge 50. Similarly, roller -86 has been shown in its extreme clockwise position, which it would assume in the absence of a supply cart- .ridge 60, Iand with the supply cartridge present, the periphery 86a `of roller 86 would be in engagement with the periphe-ry 60a of the flanges of cartridge 60.

A bracket has an upstandi-ng part 151 with an edge 151a for limiting pivotal movement of the arm 135 in the absence of a take-up cartridge 50. The face 151b of the plate 151 cooperates with a surface of nger 135 to return the ringer 135 to the inactive position shown in FIGURE 2 upon return of arm 125 to its inactive position.v

Aotuation of the slide plate 74 is also designed to pivot a lever arm about a pivot point 175, the arm 170 operating lbetween plate 76 and an underplate 176 interposed between the reinforcing plate 76 'and cover plate 40a. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing plate 76 is provided with a recess as indicated at 76b, FIGURE 5, within which the arm 170 is movable. The arm 170 carries Ia pin which is coupled to a strip 181 which in turn is coupled with a reciprocally movable slide bar 183. The slide bar 183 is connected with a stripping iin-ger assembly 185, FIGURE 2. A tension spring 190 is connected to the slide plate 74 -by screw 88 and is connected tio the stripping finger assembly by means of a screw l192 so that the spring 190 ltends to resist late-ral movement of the stripping finger assembly 185 to the right -as viewed in FIGURE 2.

A bracket 200 is secured by means of screws such as 201 to plate 76 and has an `upstanding flange 200a carrying a leaf spring 205 Whose -free end is engageable with `a stripping lug 210 pivotally carried at 211 with the stripping tinger assembly 185. In the retracted position of the stripping finger assembly 185 shown in FIGURE 2, the free end of spring 205 holds lug 210 -in its eXtreme clockwise position against the action of a wire spring diagrammatically indicated 'at 213. rPhe wire spring 213 is coiled about the pin 211 and has one end engaging the left end of lug 210 land an opposite end iixed so as to urge the lug 210 in the counterclockwise direction.

The stripping finger assembly- 185 also carries guide strip member 220 which `in the extended posi-tion of the stripping finger assembly 185 shown in FIGURE 3 is designed to hold the threading leader in a channel 230a of a xed threading guide member 230 secured to the plate 76. The channel 23051 is arranged at a height or spacing from the plate 76 corresponding to the position of the threading leader on a s-upply cartridge in operative position. The channel has a height substantially corresponding with the width or height of the threading leader so that the lower surface =of the channel supports the lower edge of the threading leader as it moves along the channel during the Ithreading operation.

The stripping yi'inger 4assembly 185 is connected with a 'slide bar 240 slidably carried in a groove of plate 76 so as to slide to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2 as the stripping finger assembly 185 moves to the right. The slide bar 240 -is provided with a head piece 240a engaging with a pivotal plate member '250 which is pivotal about a point 251 under the impetus of a wire spring 252 having one end 252a secured to an abutment of guide member 2130 and an opposite end 252b engaging a pivloit pin 260 carried by the pivot plate member 250. Thus,

, as slide bar 240 movesto the right, spring 252 pivots plate pivot point 251 to move pivot point 260 in the clockwise direction. The pivot pin 260 is coupled with a guide linger 270 which is pivotally mounted at 271 on guide member 230 by vmeans of a link arm 272 Apivotally carried on pin 260 at one end and pivotally connecte-d to the finger 270 as indicated at 273 at its opposite end. Thus, as slide bar 240 is moved to the right, plate member 250 pivots in the clockwise direction, shifting arm or link 272 upwardly so as to pivot finger 270 in the counterclockwise direction about point 271 until it assumes the position indicated in FIGURE 3 with a surface 270a riding on the outer peripheral surface of the leader of supply cartridge 60. The vheight dimension of surface 27011 is less than the spacing between the flanges of the supply cartridge t so that the finger 270 at its surface 2700 can fit between the peripheral edges of the flanges of the supply cartridge and engage the external surface of the leader.

The stripping edge 210a of stripping lug -210 is advanced to a position such as indicated in FIGURE 3 where it will be pressed against the outer surface of threading leader 61 and serve to strip the leading edge of the threading leader from the supply cartridge and guide it along the channel 230e.

A slide plate 300 is mounted in a groove 76a of plate 76 and has pins 301 and 302 for engagement wit'h the edges of slide plate 74 during its movement to active position and during its movement to retracted position, respectively.

As a further part of the threading path, the adaptor mechanism is provided with a threading guide channel 340 which is mounted by means of blocks 341 and 342 for vertical reciprocating movement on pins 34,3 and 344 extending from the plate 76. Arms 350 and 3.51 are pivotally secured at one end to the blocks 341 and 342 by means of pins such as indicated at 352 in FIG- URE 3B and pivotally secured at the opposite end to mounting blocks 353 and 354 by means of pins such as indicated at 357 in FIGURE 3B. Wire springs 355 and 356 urge the arms 350 and 351 toward their upper retracted positions. The mounting arms 350 and 351 have cam surfaces such as 350a, FIGURE 3B, which cooperate with cam surfaces such as 37001 on slide bars such Vas `370, FIGURE 3B, the slide bars being reciprocal in channels such as indicated at 76d and 76e in plate 76. The slide bar 370 for actuating arm 350 includes an abutment 370b which is actuated by pant 30a of slide plate 300. A similar Varrangement is provided for arm 351 so that as slide plate 74 moves in the counterclockwise direction about its pivot 75, arms 350 and 351 rotrate so as to move guide channel 340 into threading position w-here the channel strips 340a and 340b extend along a loading path between the various transducer heads and drive elements of the machine as best seen in FIGURE l. In other words, the guide channel strips 340g and 34011 descend into the loading slot of the conventional machine in the same way that `a tape is loaded edgewise into the slot during normal threading.

The lower end of the channel 340 is open so that the channel 340 may be moved upwardly `after the threading operation to leavel the threading leader and tape in operative position with respect to the loading slot yof the conventional machine.

The relationship of the tape threading path to the channel 340 may be seen in FIGURE 3B where the position of the threading leader 61 corresponds substantially to the tape threading path, the tape threading leader 61 being shown as passing over tape guide `88 having a tape guiding groove 38811 of dimensions to accurately posi- .tion the magnetic tape record medium relative to the various components of FIGURE l. Tape guide post 387 in FIGURE l may have a similar guiding groove. The threading leader 61 is sufiiciently stiff so as to be maintained in the guide channel 340 in the lower position thereof indicated at 340 in FIGURE 3B during the threading operation even though .the lower end of the guide channel 34) is open as indicated. The leader is supported as it leaves the supply cartridge 63, FIGURE 2, by means of the floor `of the guide channel groove l230e of guide channel number 230, FIGURE 2. The arrangement is such that the leading end 61a of leader 6I, FIGURE 4, is automatically guided from the groove 236e along the path between the channel members 34th: and 340b in their lower position indicated at 340 in FIG- URE 3B. (FIGURE 3B is of course inverted `with respect to the orientation shown in FIGURE l since FIG- URE 3A is a bottom plan View.) p

As the leader reaches the take-up end of the threading path, it engages in guide channel 12S-.1, FIGURE 3, which guides the leader between spring linger and a guiding face 1111 FIGURE 2.

As best seen in yFIGURE 2, the guide finger 220 is carried on stripping finger assembly 185 by means of a bracket 384 and is movable with the stripping finger assembly into close rel-ation to the groove 230e of guide member 230. The guide finger 22d thus retains the threading leader in the guide channel 235m lduring the threading operation.

By way of example, the threading leaders 61 and 62 may be of Mylar tape having a thickness of between .005 inch and .008 inch. The guide channel 230a may have a length of at least about 11/2 inches so as to provide the vertical edgewise support for the threading leader as it spans from the supply side to the take-up side of the threading channel 340. With this degree of support of the lower edge of the threading leader, no further edge support is necessary along the entire length of the threading channel 340. As is apparent from FIGURE 3B, the threading path as represented by threading leader 61 is substantially above the surface of base plate 70, FIG- URE l, on which the magnetic heads 23 and 24 are mounted. The undersurfaces of the cartridges 50 and 60 are, of course, spaced slightly above the surface of plate 70 so that the tape path is necessarily substantially spaced above the surface of plate 70 in the normalv construction of conventional magnetic tape recorders.

Further details of the illustrated embodiment have been shown in FIGURES 1A, 3A and 3B and FIGURE 5 so as to afford by way of example specific details of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURE l5, a roller 339 is illustrated whlch is secured to slide plate 74 andl extends through an elongated slot in reinforcing yplate 76 so that as the plate 74 moves downwardly about the pivot 75 as viewed in FIGURE 2, roller 289 moves downwardly as viewed 1n FIGURE 5, engaging a cam surface 290e of actuator member 390 so as to drive the elongated finger part 390b of the actuator generally to the left and downwardly as viewed in FIGURE 5. The finger part 390b is guided by a groove connecting with groove 76C in the reinforcmg plate 76. The groove is of configuration closely corresponding to the configuration of the fingerpart 390/2. The rounded forward end 390C of finger part 390b engages 1n a portion 170a of arm 170 to pivot the arm 170 in the counterclockwise direction about its pivot point 175 as viewed in FIGURE 5 so as to drive the stripping finger assembly to the left as viewed in FIGURE 5. Referring to FIGURES l and 1A, it will be observed that the shaft 15 is coupled with the capstan pressure roller 400 so as to retract the capstan pressure roller 400 in the stop and thread positions of shaft 15. Specifically, the capstan pressure roller 400 is carried on an arm 401 which is pivotally mounted at 402. A control roller 403 is mounted on a plate 404 and is arranged to engage a plate 401a of arm 401 so as to move the presure roller 400 to the retracted position shown in FIG- URE l against the` action of a tension spring 399 which is indicated in FIGURE l. The plate 404 which is rotatable relative t-o the shaft 15 but is fixed axially of the shaft 15. Secured to the shaft 15 is a plate 406 carrying 9 a pivotal arm 450 by means of a pin 451. The pivotal arm 450 has a pin 407 depending therefrom and riding on the periphery 404a of plate 404. As shaft is moved from the thread position shown in FIGURE 1A to the stop position, pin 407 is guided into a notch 404B by engagement of a face 450:1. of arm 450 with a xed cam plate 460. Further rotation of the shaft 15 in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE lA causes the plate 404 to turn with the plate 406 shifting the roller 403 in the clockwise direction with respect to the axis of shaft 15. This movement of roll 403 as the shaft 15l is moved to the play position releases arm 401 and allows the spring 399 to move the pressure roller 400 into pressure engagement with the tape extending between the pressure roller and capstan 25.

In the specific illustrated embodiment, a steel plate 1,46 inch thick by 1/2 inch was added at position 401a to increase the distance that the pressure roller 400 is retracted from the capstan 25, This increased distance was desirable to provide adequate clearance for the tape guide slot assembly 340. The desired retracted position of capstan pressure roller 400 is indicated in FIGURE 1. The arm 450 and notch 40411 allow plate 406 to be moved to the thread angular position without movement of roll 403 from the stop position thereof.

Also as best seen in FIGURE 1A, plate 406 is provided with a pin 454 riding in a slot 455 of a further plate 456. As the plate 406 is moved from the stop to the thread position, pin 454 engages the right end of slot 455 to rotate plate 456 in the counter clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1A to shift roller 44, FIGURE l, downwardly and to release the brake means 33 as previously described. As the plate 406 is moved to the play position, pin 454 merely moves from the right end of slot 455 to the left end thereof and does not rotate plate 456 from its stop orientation. In the stop orientation of plate 456, the pressure on roll 44 is released, and the brakes such as indicated at 33 are applied. The slot 455 th-us in effect simply provides freedom of movement of the plate 406 from the stop to the play position without altering the condition of roller 44 or brake means 33. Other mechanism associated with knob 14 brings about a release of the brake means 33 and an application of the take-up drive means 44 after the shaft 15 has been moved from stop to play position.

As indicated in FIGURE l, a further brake means 411 may be associated with v the take-up spindle 30 and cooperate with a drum or the like lrotatable with the spindle 30. The brake arm 411 is pivotally mounted at 412 and is urged in the counter-clockwise direction by means of tension spring 414. A release cable 410 is provided wrapped about the member 53 so as to provide for release of brake means 411 along with brake means 33 when shaft 15 is moved from the stop to the thread position.

' FIGURE 3A has been previously referred to as showing certain details in bottom plan which are difficult to visualize in FIGURES 2 and 3 because of the positions of adjacent parts. The reference numeral 420 may indicate a plate secured by means of screws 421 to member 111 and with which latching arm 116 cooperates as previously described.

FIGURE 3B has also been previously referred to in connection with the description of the threading guide channel 340.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show a modified tape cartridge which may Ibe assumed to be the take-up cartridge, and primed reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts so that the structure of this embodiment will be apparent by reference to the preceding description. The present modification provides radially extending s-houlder parts such as indicated at 461-466 projecting into Ithe interior space of the cartridge adjacent the hub 50b so that the threading leader 61 is shifted edge-wise into a continuous annular groove 460 in the ilange 50c 1 0 of the cartridge. The arm of FIGURES 2 and 3 may serve to press the threading leader 61 into the position shown in FIGURE 6 so that the pins 50g of the takeup cartridge of FIGURE 2 may be omitted together with the apertures in the threading leader indicated in FIG- URE 4.A

As a further alternative, it will be understood that the' latching arrangement including parts such as 1|17 and 1-18 in FIGUR-ES 2 and 3 Imay be omitted, and the parts maintained in the latched or threading position by manual pressure on t-he actuating knob 470 on shaft 15. In this case, the operator would simply hold the knob 470 on shaft 15 in the thread position manually until the threading operation were completed and then would release the knob to allow the shaft 15 to return to the stop position and to allowl all of the parts to be returned lby spring means to their inactive posi-tions.

In the-illustrated embodiment, the machine is such that the supply spindle 31 is shifted from lthe position shown in solid outline in FIGURE 2 to the dotted position labeled 31 when the knob 14 is moved to rewind position, and this shifting of the supply spindle 31 causes tuck-in roller 95 to project between the flanges of the supply cartridge so as to be operative to tuck the threading leader 61 behind the shoulders 60e, 60jc of the supply cartridge at the end of the rewind operation. Roller 86 may be so positioned in its inactive position that it does not engage cartridge 60 when cartridge 60 is shifted with spindle 31 to the rewind position.

As a further modification, the cartridges may have straight anges without the confronting shoulder portions, and the leaders may have protruding teeth or the like for engaging the smooth side walls of the anges for holding the leaders in wrapped relation on the hub portions of the cartridge and in wrapped relation about a coil of tape on the cartridge.

The teeth 50g, 60g may be conveniently provided by wrapping a thinstrip of metal about the hub portions such as 50b and 60b of the cartridges With the strip having the teeth struck up therefrom. The ends of the strip may extend into and be anchored in a radial groove in the hub part 50b, for example. If desired, the successive teeth may be directed at slight angles to the radial direction and in opposite directions so as to facilitate engagement of the threading leader with the teeth in either direction of rotation of the teeth relative to a threading leader to be engaged therewith.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the supply cartridge-driving belt 84 is driven by a pulley 480 of relatively small diameter coaxial with roller 85 so that supply cartridge 60 has a reduced rate of rotation as compared with take-up cartridge 50. The dimensions are such that the leader portion 61 is driven by the supply cartridge along the 4threading path at a reduced linear speed as compared to the `tangential velocity of the teeth on the hub 50b of the take-up cartridge 50 so that the teeth 140 will engage in the apertures 61a of the leader portion 61,

FIGURE 4, and initiate winding of the leader portion 61 on the hub 50b.

Summary of operation In placing the machine in operation, knob 14 is initially in `the position shown in FIGURE 1 and shaft 15 is in the stop position. The automatic threading mechanism is in the position shown in FIGURE 2 with shaft 15 in the stop position. An empty cartridge 50 is placed on the take-up spindle 30 and a full cartridge 60 is placed on the supply spindle 311.

The shaft 15 is then moved to the thread position which is the position actually shown in FIGURE 1 and corresponds to the position of the threading mechanismA shown in FIGURE 3. In this condition, the driving motor drives pulley 49, FIGURE 1, and thus drives the take-up spindle 30 through belt 46. The take-up cartridge 50 is thus rotated in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG- l l URE 3, to drive roller 85, FIGURE 3, in the counterclockwise direction and thus to drive roller 86 in the counterclockwise direction through lbelt 84 as viewed in FIGURE 3. (The rollers 85 and 86 are spring urged to extreme positions such as shown in FIGURE 3, but with the cartridges 50 and 60 present, the rollers would en- 'gage the peripheries 50a and 60a of the cartridges and with a full cartridge present on the supply spindle) engages with the free end 61a of the leader 61 to strip the leader 61 from behind confronting shoulder portions 60e and 607 .and to guide the threading leader along the channel 230g of threading guide 230 and along the threading path defined by channel guide member 340 and then along the channel defined by groove 125a in arm 125 together with spring blade 130 (FIGURE 2) `and surfaces 111b and 120b (FIGURE 2). These cooperating surfaces may hold the threading leaderin a plane slightly inclined to the vertical so that the threading leader lits more easily between the confronting annular shoulder portions 50e and 50f of the take-up cartridge 50. The finger 135 serves to guide the leading end of the threading leader into engagement with the teeth 50g of the hub 50b to engage the threading leader with the hub 50b for winding of the record medium thereon.

As soon as the threading leader is engaged with the take-up cartridge 50, the tensioning of the threading leader causes pivotal movement of the lug 120 about its pivot point 121 to shift trip lever 117 about its pivot point 119 and thus to release latching spring 116 from the end portion of plate 420, FIGURE 3A. This allows the various spring means which have been tensioned including the resilient belt 84 to return the slide plate 74 to its initial inactive position shown in FIGURE 2 and to lift the guide channel 340 out of the threading slot of the conventional tape recorder with which the lthreading mechanism is associated.

The shaft 15 is now moved to the stop position to shift roller 44 in the upward position as viewed in FIGURE l and thus to release the drive of the take-up cartridge 5t) with the take-up cartridge Sil, the tensioning of the threading leader causes pivotal movement of the lug 120 about its pivot point 121 to shift trip lever 117 about its pivot-point 119 and thus to release latching spring 116 from t-he end portion of plate 420, FIGURE 3A. This allows the various spring means which have been tensioned including the resilient belt 84 to return the slide plate 74 to its initial inactive position shown in FIGURE 2 and to lift the guide channel 340 out of the threading slot of the conventional tape recorder with which the threading mechanism is associated.

'The shaft 15 is now moved to the stop position to shift roller 44 in the upward position as viewed in FIGURE l and thus to release the drive of the take-up cartridge 50. The automatic threading operation is now complete, and shaft may be actuated in the clockwise direction to initiate a transducing operation of the threaded record medi- As illustrated in the lifth ligure of my copending application Serial No. 124,683, the threading leader may include a non-apertured portion of length to for-m a s-mooth cylindrical configuration resting on the outer tips of the teeth 5tlg of the take-up cartridge. The leaders 61 and 62 preferably each have a length substantially equal to an integral number (two or greater) times the take-up hub circumference. Preferably, the length of the leaders 61 and 62 is such that they will completely cover the outer turns of the record medium itself when the leader is at the outer periphery of a cartridge as illustrated for the leader 61 in FIGURE 3. The leaders also have a length at least corresponding to the length of th-e threading path from the supply cartridge to the channel 12561 at the take-up side of guide channel 340 since the leader is not supported along the length of channel 340 in the illustrated embodiment.

The parts such as 85, 86, 95, and 210 when in the position shown in FIGURE 2 preferably provide clearance spaces corresponding to the size of the cartridges so that the cartridges can be easily and conveniently inserted on the spindles 30 and 31.

If after automatic threading, a transducing operation is stopped before the inner threading leader 62 is disengaged frorn the supply cartridge 60, shaft 15 may be actuated from the play, record position to the stop position and knob 14 actuated to the rewind position to rewind the record medium onto the supply cartridge 60. During the rewind mode, the supply spindle is at position 31 so that the tuck-in roller 95 will have a position so as to press the leader 61 behind the confronting shoulder portions 60e and 601.

On the other hand, if after automatic threading and during the transducing operation, the record medium I and threading leader 62 are completely unwound from the supply cartridge 60 andcompletely wound onto the take-up cartridge 50, the tip end 123C of lug 120 will tend to tuck in the free end of the threading leader 62 behind the confronting shoulder portions 50e and SQ of the takeup cartridge. Then, to play a second channel or channels, the cartridges 50 and 60 may be removed and inverted, and the cartridge 50 placed on the supply spindle 31 while the empty cartridge 60 is placed on the take-up spindle 30. The machine is now ready to b-e cycled again through t-he automatic threading operation to wind the record mediu-m from cartridge 50 onto cartridge 60.

The description of a further modification found at lpages 25-27 of my application Ser. No. 124,683 is specilically incorporated herein by reference. This description is as follows: As a further modification, it may be noted that threading between a supply cartridge 10 and a take-up reel 41 may be effected above the transducer path of a transducing machine, after which the supply cartridge, the take-up reel and the length of record medium therebetween Imay be allowed to drop vertically downwardly onto the transducer mechanism. This type of an arrangement would be applicable to a transducer machine of existing design without any changes of the transducer machine itself since the automatic threading mechanism can simply comprise a casing placed on top of the transducer mechanism. Such an automatic threading mechanism may comprise a topcover plate generally coeXtensive with the side of the transducer mechanism havino the supply and take-up spindles. The cover plate would have circular openings therein aligned with the supply and take-up spindles to accommodate insertion of the supply cartridge and take-up reel into positions directly above and `aligned with the supply spindle and the take-up spindle respectively. Suitable means may initially retain the supply cartridge and takeup reel in spaced relation above the take-up spindle and the supply spindle and such means may comprise, for example, three rollers having lower anges which nor` mally underlie the respective supply and take-up reels and rotatably support the reels a-bove the supply and take-up spindles. One roller associated with the supply cartridge may be driven to rotate the supply cartridge and the cover plate may carry a stripping finger such 'as indicated at 60 in FIGURE 7 for stripping the threading portion of the record medium from the supply cartridge as it rotates. The cover plate may also be provided with suitable guide members for guiding the threading portion along a path directly above the loading slot of the transducer mechanism and a suitable spring 13 urged linger such as indicated at 170 in FIGURE 4 may serve to engage the end of the threading portion with suitable teeth on the take-11p reel. One of the rollers supporting the take-up reel may cause the take-up reel to rotate in a direction to wind the record medium thereon. A shiftable bottom plate may normally close the bottom side of the threading path so as to support the record medium during the threading operation. This bottom plate may be shifted to register a slot therein with the threading path so as to allow the tape to drop into the transducing path of the transducer mechanism. At the same time, Atwo or more of the rollers supporting each -of the supply cartridge and the take-up reel lmay be shifted to allow the supply cartridge to drop onto the supply spindle and the take-up reel to drop onto the take-up spindle. The cover plate may be designed to provide manual access to the supply and takeup cartridges for removal of t-he cartridges from the supply and take-up spindles after play of the record medium. The supply and take-up cartridges may be of identical configuration and inverted interchanged to play a second channel on the record medium if desired. By way of a further similar example, it may be noted thatthreading between a supply cartridge 60 and a takeup cartridge 50 may be effected above the transducer path of transducer machine 10. After the automatic threading operation has been completed, the supply cartridge 60, the take-up cartridge Si) and the length of record medium extending therebetween along the threading path may be allowed to drop vertically downwardly onto the transducer machine so that the length of the record medium is located in the loading slot of the transducing machine. In this type of e-mbodiment, the channel member 340, FIGURE 2, would be located at a fixed vertical position above the loading slot of the transducing machine. Suitable means may initially retain the supply cartridge and take-up cartridge in spaced relation above supply spindle 31 'and take-up spindle 3i) and such means may comprise, for example, three rollers having lowerflanges which normally underlie the respective supply and take-up reels or cartridges and rotatably support the cartridges above the supply and takeup spindles. One roller -associated with the supply cartridge, would correspond to the roller S6 and would be driven from the roller 85, for example, providing the take-up spindle were in driving engagement with the takeup cartridge 50. For example, the take-up spindle may be provided wit-h an adaptor extension so as to be in driving engagement with the take-up cartridge both in the upper threading position of the take-up cartridge and Y in the lower transducing position of the take-up cartridge on the spindle. A shiftable bottom plate may normally close the bottom side of the threading pathso as to support the record medium during the threading operation as it travels through the threading path guide means 340. This bottom` plate may be shifted to register a slot therein with the -threading path of guide 340 so as to allow the tape to drop into the transducing path of the transducer mechanism. At the same time, two or more of the rollers including rollers similar to 85 and 86 supporting the supply and take-up cartridges may be shifted to allow the supply cartridge to drop into transducing position on the supply spindle and the takeup cartridge to drop into transducing position on the take-up spindle. The shifting of the bottom plate may take place automatically in response to tripping of lug 120 along with the retraction of rollers 85 and 86 as in the embodiment of FIGURES 2 and 3. The cover plate may be designed to provide manual access to the supply and take-up cartridges for removal of the cartridges from the supply and take-up spindles after play of the record medium. The supply and take-up cartridges are of identical conguration and may be inverted and interchanged to play a second lchannel on the record medium if desired. Suitable tuck-in means may be carried by the adaptor plate similar to the tuck-in means in FIG- URE 2 for insuring engagement of the threading leaders with the supply or take-up cartridges while the cartridges are in the lower transducing positions. For example, a tuck-in roller such as indicated at 9S would simply be spaced a greater 'distance downwardly from cover plate 40a, the increase in distance corresponding to the distance of vertical movement of the cartridges from the threading position to the transducing position. A similar roller would be provided in association with the take-up cartridge 50 as viewed in FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURES 6 and 7, it will be observed that the shoulder 461 tapers inwardly as indicated at 461a toward the centerline of the spool. The shoulders such as 461 may intersect with an annular groove 473 and thus divide the groove into a succession of arcuate segments as indicated in FIGURE 7. The shoulder parts 461-466 are very simply formed, forexample during molding of two separate parts each including one of the flanges which are assembled to form the cartridge.

As a modification of the embodiment 'shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7, the alternate shoulder parts 462, 464, and 466 may be provided on the flange Stlc so as to reduce the extent of'bending required by the leader in being pressed into the position in alignment with grooves 464i, 473 shown in FIGURE 6. That is, longitudinally offset portions of the leader are indented or ll-exed alternately at opposite margins rather than requiring ilexure of lthe leader along its length at one margin only as in the embodiment of FIGURES 6 and 7. v

As a further embodiment of cartridge, in-place of the teeth 5tlg projecting from the hub, a ring-shaped thin metal plate may be embedded in one of the flanges such as Sle adjacent the hub 50h so that the inner surface of the plate is generally flush with the innersurface of the llange 50c. The ring may have narrow spring fingers struck at spaced intervals from the radically inner margin thereof with the free ends of the fingers extending into an annular groove in the hub 50h directly adjacent the flange 50c. The opposite flange 50d may have an annular groove just as indicated at 473, for example. The spring fingers then tend to engage the edge of the leader as it is directed onto the take-up cartridge so as to press the opposite edge of the leader into the groove in flange 50d. The edgewise gripping action provided by the spring fingers and the annular groove is suflicient to enable wrapping of the leader on the takeup spool with thearrangement shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 without any teeth on the hub as in the embodiment of FIGURES 2 and 3.

With respect to each of the embodiments where the take-up cartridge has annular beads or shoulder portions Sile, 501 or Sile, 507, even if the threading leader is directed between the flanges such as 50c and 50d with the plane of the leader being entirely vertical, the clearance space between the guide means 120, g, FIGURE 3 and the adjacent shoulder portions of cartridge 50 is sufllcient to enable the leader to tilt slightly so as to fit between the shoulder portions 50e and 50]. This tilting action of the leader even from a perfect vertical plane takes place automatically because of the resiliency of the leader and the manner'in which it is directed toward the cartridge. As previously mentioned, however, the leader may be tilted slightly from a vertical plane by the guide means su'ch as 120, 130, FIGURE 2, so that the leader will always tilt in a predetermined direction as it is directed between the flanges of the take-up cartridge. The tilting of the threading leader from the vertical provided by the guide means 120, may be less than that required for the threading leader to pass between the confrontingl shoulder portions 50e and 50f since the additional tilting required will take place automatically because of the flexibility of the threading leader.

lt may be noted that in the illustrated embodiment, no tuck-in roller such as roller 95 is provided in association with the take-up cartridge 50. Such ka tuck-in roller is desirable in order to tuck the threading leader 62 behind the confronting portions Ste and tlf of the take-up cartridge if the record is to be completely wound onto the take-up cartridge. Where the take-up spindle 30 does not shift as is the case with the supply spindle 3l, it is advantageous to provide a tuck-in roller for the take-up cartridge which will shift into an operating position when the machine is placed in the play or fast forward modes. It will be apparent that such a tuck-in roller may be coupled for movement with roller 44, FIGURE 1, so that whenever roller 44 is moved downwardly (as viewed in FIGURE l) to engage the take-up reel drive belt da, the tuck-'in roller will be moved to a position extending into the space between the confronting shoulders 50e and Stlf of the take-up cartridge. In the play mode, the roller 44 is moved downwardly by means of rotation of plate diie, FIGURE lA, which is linked to the various mechanisms associated with the play mode in the conventional machine. It will be understood that while link 43 at this time is in an upper position, the roller 44 is freely movable to engage the take-up drive because of the elongated slot 43a in link 43.

In the illustrated embodiment where the drive roller S6 engages the fianges 69C, 60d, rather than the outer surface of leader 6I in rotating the cartridge 60 during the threading operation, the leader 61 preferably has a length so that the leader still has a substantial wrap about the cartridge 60 at the supply position when the leader end has been firmly engaged with the cartridge Sii at the take-up position. This insures that drive roller will continue effectively driving leader 61 until the end thereof has been firmly coupled with the take-up cartridge. In a symmetrical system where the cartridges may be inverted and interchanged the leader 62 should, of course, have the same length as leader 61.

It will be apparent that many further modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A transducing machine comprising record medium transport and scanning elements for engagement with a record medium being translated during a transducing operation, an automatic threading mechanism for automatically threading a record medium with respect to said transport and scanning elements comprising a casing having a supply position and a take-up position and threading guide means extending along a threading path and said threading guide means having a position offset from and in vertical alignment with a loading slot between said record medium transport and scanning elements, means for automatically moving a record medium along said threading guide means during a threading operation, and said threading guide means comprising movable means providing for relative vertical movement between a record medium threaded along said threading path and said threading guide means to place said record medium in an exposed condition in said loading slot ready for a transducing operation. p

2. In an automatic threading transducing machine, a take-up device comprising a detachable take-up cartridge having interior engagement means within said cartridge for receiving and automatically engaging the end of a first threading leader for winding of a record medium connected with said threading leader on said cartridge, said cartridge having an outer leader retaining means at the outer periphery thereof for frictional engagement with a second threading leader connected to the opposite end of the record medium and wider than the record medium to retain the second threading leader in wound relation on the cartridge, means for automatically guiding a first threading leader wider than the record medium past said outer leader retaining means and into coupling relation to said interior engagement means of said cartridge to automatically couple the record medium with the cariti tridge for winding thereon, and means for automatically engaging a second threading leader connected with the outer end 'of the record with said outer leader retaining means to retain the second leader in wound relation on the cartridge.

3. In a automatic threading transducer machine, a take-up cartridge comprising a spool having a hub and flange means extending from the hub to define an annular space having a first width at the outer periphery thereof greater than the width of a record medium but less than the width of a leader connected with the record medium and having a second width greater than said first width and approximately equal to the width of said leader, said hub having means for automatic detachable coupling with a first leader connected to one end of a record medium to initiate winding of a record medium -on the cartridge, and the outer periphery of the flange means of said spool being adapted to overlie a second leader connected to the opposite end of the record medium to retain the second leader in wound relation on the cartridge, means for guiding the first threading leader past the outer periphery of said flange means and into engagement with said automatic coupling means of said hub to automatically couple the record medium with the cartridge, and means for automatically engaging the second threading leader with the outer periphery of the ilange means on said spool during winding of the second leader ontosaid cartridge.

4. A transducing machine comprising a supply cartridge, a take-up cartridge, means for automatically threading a record medium from the supply cartridge to the take-up cartridge, transducing means for thereafter conditioning said machine vto carry out a transducing operation with respect to the record medium, control means coupled to said automatic threading means and to said transducing means and in one condition activating said automatic .threading means for carrying out a threading operation and in a second condition deactivating said automatic threading means and activating said transducing means and in a third condition deactivating both said automatic threading means and said transducing means, and a single manually operated control knob coupled to said control means for selectively shifting said control means from said third condition to said one conditi-on and from said third condition to 4said second condition.

5. A transducing machine comprising a supply cartridge, a take-up cartridge, means for automatically threading a record medium from the supply cartridge to the take-up cartridge, transducing means for thereafter conditioning said machine to carry out a transducing operation with respect to the record medium, control means coupled to said automatic threading means and to said transducing means and in one condition activating said automatic threading means for carrying out a threading operation and in a second condition deactivating said automatic threading means and activating said transducing means and in a third condition providing for deactivation of said transducing means and said automatic threading means, and a'single manually operated control coupled to said control means and shiftable in one direction from a first position corresponding to said one condition of said control means to a second position corresponding to said third condition of said control means and then to a third position corresponding to said Isecond condition of said control means to successively place said control means in said one condition and then in said second condition.

6. A single spool cartridge assembly comprising a single lspool cartridge having a relatively limp tape record medium with a relatively stiff leader wider than the tape record medium, said cartridge comprising a spool having a hub portion of a Width substantially corresponding to the width of said leader and substantially greater than the width of said tape record medium, and means adjacent the hub portion forV engaging an edge of said leader to couple the leader to the spool for Winding on said hub portion, said spool having a liange extending from said hub portion at one side thereof and said means comprising leader engaging parts adjacent said flange and projecting into overlying relation to said hub portion to engage an edge of said leader as it is applied to said hub portion and to tend to retain said leader in coupling relation to said spool, said leader engaging parts being of an axial extent toleave a Ispace at least equal to the width of the tape record medium in which the vtape record medium may be Wound over the leader without distortion.

7. A single spool cartridge assembly comprising a cartridge having a relatively imsy tape record medium and an elongated relatively stiff tape-like leader, said leader having a Width substantially greater than the width of the tape record medium and a length many times its width, said cartridge comprising a spool having a hub portion with a lperimeter of a length dimension less than the length of said leader, and means adjacent the hub portion for engaging an edge of said leader to couple the leader to the spool for Winding on said hub portion, said spool having a tlange at one side of said hub portion and said means comprising an annular groove in said,

flange adjacent said hub portion with a xed edge of said liange defining said groove and providing an axial space less than the Width of said leader but greater than the Width of said tape rec-ord medium so ythat. an edge portion of the leader is retained in said groove while the tape record medium is wound on the leader Without substantial distortion.

8. A single spool cartridge -assembly comprising a single spool cartridge having a record medium wound thereon With a tape-like leader connected to the inner end of the record medium, said cartridge comprising a spool having a hub portion and having means for automatically engaging said leader to couple the leader to the spool for winding on said hub portion, said spool having a ange at one side of said hub portion and said means comprising rigid edge portions of said ange defining an arcuate groove in said iiange adjacent said hub for receiving an edge portion of the leader.

9. An automatic threading adaptor for a transducing machine, said adaptor comprising a casing having supply j and take-up positions and having an extended area unitary cover part for extending continuously over the region between the supply and takeup positions and over the region surrounding the supply and take-up lpositions, said cover part having access openings generally of coniiguration corresponding to the configuration of supply and take-up cartridges for accommodating delivery of such supply and take-up cartridges to the supply and takeup positions of the casing and having a threading path from the supply position to the take-up position substantially covered by said cover part, and means in said casing for automatically threading a record medium from a supply cartridge at the supply position to a take-up cartridge at the take-up position.

10. A transducer machine comprising means for mounting a supply cartridge and a take-up cartridge at respective supply and take-up positions, a driven element in the machine for activation during a transducing operation, drive elements movable between an active and an inactive position and in the active position thereof being engageable with said supply cartridge and with said driven element for driving of the supply cartridge in a direction to unwind a record medium therefrom from said driven element during a threading operation, means for moving said drive elements between their active and inactive positions, and means mounting said drive elements on said machine for detachment from the machine as a unit to accommodate manual threading of the machine.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,457 9/1934 Wittel 242-718 2,226,825 12/ 1940 McAuley 242-74 2,891,736 6/1959 Blaes 242-55.l2 3,006,650 10/1961 Ellrnore. 3,149,797 9/ 1964 Pastor et al. 242-55.l3

FOREIGN PATENTS 324,528 l/ 1930 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

L. D. CHRISTIAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRANSDUCING MACHINE COMPRISING RECORD MEDIUM TRANSPORT AND SCANNING ELEMENTS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A RECORD MEDIUM BEING TRANSLATED DURING A TRANSDUCING OPERATION, AN AUTOMATIC THREADING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY THREADING A RECORD MEDIUM WITH RESPECT TO SAID TRANSPORT AND SCANNING ELEMENTS COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A SUPPLY POSITION AND A TAKE-UP POSITION AND THREADING GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING ALONG A THREADING PATH AND SAID THREADING GUIDE MEANS HAVING A POSITION OFFSET FROM SAID IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH A LOADING SLOT BETWEEN SAID RECORD MEDIUM TRANSPORT AND SCANNING ELEMENTS, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MOVING A RECORD MEDIUM ALONG SAID THREADING GUIDE MEANS DURING A THREADING OPERATION, AND SAID THREADING GUIDE MEANS DURING COMPRISING MOVABLE MEANS PROVIDING FOR RELATIVE VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A RECORD MEDIUM THREADED ALONG SAID THREADING PATH AND SAID THREADING GUIDE MEANS TO PLACE SAID RECORD MEDIUM IN AN EXPOSED CONDITION IN SAID LOADING SLOT READY FOR A TRANSDUCING OPERATION. 